Hidden Lake Lookout near North
Cascades National Park - Washington

In order to get
to Hidden Lake Lookout, you may have to hike though steep snowfields
and may require an ice axe well into July. Enjoy views encompassing southern
North Cascades National Park and the Glacier Peak Wilderness. The lookout
was built in 1931 and stands at an elevation of 6,850 feet. It is open to
the public on a first-come-first-serve basis for overnight use. Water is
available by melting snow. When snowpack is gone visitors will need to bring
water.

Hidden Lake
Lookout Trail
The trail climbs for 1 mile through the forest before crossing Sibley Creek
and entering the creek basin. Here the trail switchbacks moderately through
avalanche and flower meadows thick with cow parsnip, false hellebore,
fireweed, and many other wildflowers in season. Be sure to stay on the main
trail to spare the meadows any additional erosion. Mudslides or trail slumps
are not uncommon. As the trail crosses Sibley Creek again at a higher
contour, look back down the valley for views of the icy volcanic dome of Mt.
Baker to the northwest. Watch for Ptarmigan and water pipit in the subalpine
and near Sibley Creek. Observe migrating hawks and eagles near Sibley Pass
during autumn. Listen for the piercing whistle of marmots sunning on rocky
slopes.

Now the trail begins a long, upward,
open traverse through meadows, rocky slopes, and communities of heather and
huckleberry, interspersed with small creeklets. Look back frequently as a
sea of peaks begins to rise behind you. As the trail approaches the base of
the rocky summit, a few small tarns and snowmelt provide a last water source
for backpackers. During the short summer season, the meadows below the
lookout are alive with color and sound. At this elevation, summers are short
and intense. Watermelon snow, a type of green algae, colors the snow fields
red. Look for glacier lilies blooming through snow edges.

As you near the saddle, the trail is easily lost in rocky slopes and
lingering snowfields. Keep a sharp eye for cairns and sections of trail, and
head for the low point of the col. From this 6600 foot saddle you are
rewarded with your first view of Hidden Lake, a truly hidden deep blue gem
of a lake that lies tucked in a talused pocket below the peak. The lake may
be frozen or have patches of ice well into the summer. Beyond the lake are
sweeping views of Forbidden, Boston, and Sahale Peaks, with the Quien Sabe
Glacier fronting the far basin. To reach the lake, it is a steep half mile
boulder scramble down to its shore.

The 6890 foot lookout cabin is a half mile and 300 feet above the saddle,
following blazes and cairns along the rocky, narrow path. If snowy, this
pitch may require an ice axe and climbing experience to negotiate. The
lookout, built in 1931, is no longer used for fire protection but is
maintained by a volunteer group under an agreement with the US Forest
Service and is open to the public. If you visit the lookout or spend the
night, please keep the little building clean and in good condition.